The marrying type
by hannahncakes
Summary: What's normal? You want it for so long until you realise that what you had before was pretty perfect. Buffy & Spike face a challenge like they never have before. Set in the not too distant future.
1. Will you love me?

The Marrying type

_A/N: Just a little something that popped into my head & wouldn't go away. If anyone's interested in this story then I will be continuing it. If not I'll leave it as a one-shot. Either way please leave feedback. Ta! _

Spike held the arms of a particularly troublesome demon behind its back as Buffy spun through the air to kick it in its face. It had been a long, hard fight tonight. What started as a routine patrol had escalated into as full on ambush by a group of super-strong nasties that just wouldn't die without a lot of fuss. All but one of them were now lying dead at their feet and their sore, aching bodies wrestled with the leader. Buffy threw a punch to its face as it reared backwards to try to throw Spike off but he merely grabbed on tighter & swung the demon around to face Buffy once again.

"Any chance of getting this over with soon Buff? Not really having the ride of my life back here" Spike shouted.

"Hey! Doing my best here big bad, if you've got any suggestions feel free to throw them out there." Buffy panted as she tried to weaken the creature in front of her. Spike watched her as if in slow motion as she spun to land another blow. Her hair swung behind her and stuck to the combination of sweat and blood that was caked to her face. Spike grinned and licked his lips- she never looked more beautiful than when she was going in for the kill. The demon in front of her grunted as sagged slightly and Spike sensed the life ebbing away from the monster and just wanted it to be over all ready.

"If you and your boyfriend have finished-" The demon grunted with an attempt at some arrogance.

"He." Buffy punched again. "Is not." She grabbed the horns on his head tightly "My boyfriend!" She twisted violently and felt its neck click & break. Spike pushed the lifeless body to one side and gazed across at the blonde standing panting in the grave yard with him. In one stride he close the gap between them and snaked one arm around her, pulling her closer before crushing his lips against hers as he twisted his hand into her matted hair as she moaned softly and leaned up towards him.

"Not your boyfriend huh?" Spike smiled as he pulled away to look into her eyes.

"Spike I'm nearly 30. Boyfriend is so... high school. What me and you have, we're... You're..."

"Undead but ensouled , long-term, live-in, lover?" Spike raised his eyebrow as he reached for his pack of cigarettes. Buffy snorted and went to reply but he cut her off "You know you could just call me your husband. It would be much less of a mouthful."

"Spike" she sighed wearily as she watched her vampire light his cigarette. "We have been through this before. We are not the marrying type. We fight for a living. We kill demons every day & we almost kill each other if we have an argument and will you stop smirking and put that thing out while I am trying to talk seriously to you?"

"You treat me like you own me all ready. Nothing will change if we get married." Spike muttered as he took a drag on his cigarette before grinding it out under his boot. "And I've been smoking since a long time before you were born love so don't think you're changing that now."

"See what I mean? Do you see? You're frigging immortal and I'm fighting for my life from dusk till dawn we're never going to be an old married couple sitting on the porch in our rocking chairs counting our grey hairs and knitting. It's not who we are."

"Not me maybe slayer but you've got a few cute little crows feet creeping on all ready." He went to kiss her cheek and she pulled sharply away, gave him a withering look and ran as fast as her feet could carrier her to their house. Spike cursed himself loudly as he stared at the place the woman he loved had just stood. Somehow he always screwed this up. After all these years he really should have learnt when to keep his mouth shut.

As Spike walked into the house he heard some hideous talk show blaring out into the night. He braced himself as he placed his hand on the handle of the door to the living room. It had been a long time since Buffy had hit him but tonight he felt he deserved it. He just wanted to make her happy, give her what she deserved, but he always went the wrong way about it. He took a deep breath and pushed the door but instead of being confronted by an angry, pacing slayer that he expected he saw a fragile woman hugging her knees in the corner of the sofa gazing with unfocused eyes at the blaring TV.

"Pet?" he questioned softly as he sat down beside her. "Love I'm so sorry I-"

"Will you love me?" Buffy asked abruptly without taking her eyes off the TV. Spike knelt up and grabbed her face to bring her eyes to his.

"How can you ask me that? You know how much I love you I'd do anything for you. You name it and I'll be there, doing it."

"No." She smiled weakly. "I know you love me. I do. You tell me about a thousand times a day. But will you? When I'm... I mean if I make it to be all old and wrinkly? And you're still annoyingly young and hot. Could you-" Spike silenced her with a kiss. He tried to convey everything he couldn't say to her in this kiss. How it didn't matter how old she was or what she looked like but he would love her until he had nothing left to love her with.

"Buffy-" he began but she just smiled and shook her head.

"Being silly. I know really. It's just sometimes I wish we were the marrying type. That things could be simple."

"You don't mean that. Not really. A day of normal and you'd be summoning a demon to liven things up. Now shall we go get cleaned up so I can get you all dirty again Summers?"

"Ah you know me too well." She smirked as he grabbed her hand and dragged her up the stairs.

TBC


	2. Mrs The Bloody

_A/N: Hope you're enjoying! This is my first attempt at writing anything longer than a one-shot so please let me know how it's going the good the bad & the ugly reviews are all welcome. _

Buffy lay there panting slightly as she grinned at Spike. She wrapped the sheet around herself as she snuggled closer to the man in front of her. As he placed his arm lazily around her she let out a sigh and felt as if the weight of today had been lifted from her shoulders as she leaned into the soothing coolness that had become so normal to her over the past few years. She felt she over heated when she was away from him and only when his arms were around her, his lips crushing hers, could she feel normal. Her vampire made her feel human and she was fully aware of the irony. If you'd asked her when she was 16 how she had pictured her life turning out she new she wouldn't have said this. Even before Spike had died she would never have pictured herself being with him, properly, and not running away or creating excuses for her lack of involvement. Somehow though losing him had changed any ideas she had about what she thought she could feel for a demon. And getting him back had removed any barrier she had put up to stop them being together.

He was everything she needed. He was the only one in her life who believe in her completely and, although he was always there to back her up, never felt the need to protect her from the world. He new what she was capable of, knew her deepest and darkest side, and loved her none the less. Although they were accepted by her friends now she still had the feeling they dissaproved. She hated the fact that not everyone saw his kindness and his heart. That she was the only one who knew how deeply he loved her. That she still worried about what others though. It shouldn't be this complicated when it felt so right.

"Hey, Buff?" Spike cut through her thoughts as he gazed into her eyes deeply. "What's going on in that brain of yours Summers?"

"Just thinking." She smiled weakly as she leaned up to kiss him gently.

"Never a good idea." He mumbled between kisses and he felt her grin as she made a feeble attempt to slap his arm. He began to deepen the kiss and seductively pulled her towards as he felt her move back. He groaned sleepily at the sudden lack of contact. "Go on then. Obviously I can't distract you. Tell me what's on your mind."

"I was just thinking how this was _so_ not how I planned my life would be."

"Oh.. Ok I'll just pack my stuff and go shall I?" Spike quipped only half joking. He hated these moods of Buffy's when she suddenly became wracked with self-doubt and remembered she'd crossed a line that had been drawn centuries ago.

"You know I don't mean it like that!" She sighed and took a breath to calm herself. Now was not a time to be getting angry. "I love you. You know how much I love you Spike." He grinned beside her knowing he would never tire of those words. "I just wonder if this can last..."

"Still wishing you were normal?" he muttered.

"Have been since I was sixteen." She noted sadly.

"Well you're not. Deal with it." Buffy rolled her eyes as she sensed a Spike pep talk coming on. "You're never going to wake up and be Miss America. You're the Slayer, it's in your blood and there's no getting away from it. One day you're going to have to learn to be happy with what you've got and what you've got, like it or not, is me. And as for whether or not this will last... Bloody hell Pet you've died and it hasn't stopped us, I've died and I'm all ready dead and we're both still here. Still standing. Still fighting. Still loving. So I think we're in this for the long haul. Deal?"

"Deal." Buffy smirked.

"Now can this please be the last time we have this talk because I'm running out of encouraging things to say and next time I will just ravage you until you stop thinking. Actually that's not a bad idea. Worry some more."

"Hmm I might..." Buffy whispered as she felt Spike kiss gently down her neck.

"I still say these worries and doubts would ease if you just let me make you my wife." He whispered.

"Really not going to drop this are you?" Buffy laughed.

"Never."

"Well... I refuse to be Mrs. The Bloody. And I need a ring. A big one." Buffy pouted.

"Consider it done." Spike thought his face would split open with the grin he was trying to conceal at her words. He held her close to him as she fell into a gentle sleep. This was as close to a definate answer as he was going to get from his woman. This was perfection, he though, and this was how life was meant to be. The night closed in around them, ingulfing them in complete blackness and he let his eyes gently close too and fall into dreams of what was to come.

Outside the window a pair of eyes watched the sleeping couple. A pair of unwanted eyes that glowed with menace and whispered words that would change their future forever.

"_My will be done_

_With the rising of the sun_

_What is desire for_

_Will surface once more_

_And evil will roam_

_While she makes her house a home." _

_A/N2: I know I suck at spell writing & I apologise a lot. I promise there won't be any/many more!_


	3. Pancakes

_A/N: Hey guys. Me again! I would like to thank all of you who have added this to your favourite stories/story alerts. If you could possibly take 2 seconds at the end of the chapter to review as well I would be very grateful. I won't blackmail you & say I don't write without reviews. I do. But I'm just a sad writer! Enjoy..._

Buffy awoke to find herself alone in the bed. Spike was usually her alarm clock to ensure she arrived on time for work and seeing him gone gave her a slight panic as she thought of the 9:30 conference call between her, Faith and Dawn that was scheduled for today. She had a tendancy to forget these kind of things. Slowly but surely she was trying to adjust to taking more of a managerial role in the fight against evil. This was what other people did on a daily basis. What normal people did: got up, got dressed and went to work. However as satisfying as it was to be able to sit behind a desk and organise troops like some general in a far-off war there was still a part of her that craved to be in the thick of the action. Sure, she still had regular training sessions with the newbies and nothing would stop a jumped-up gang of demons trying to kill her once in a while but nothing truly apocolyptic had happened to her in years. Saving the world wasn't glamorous and risking you life was never fun but something inside her craved to be leading the battle rather than supervising it. Maybe Spike was right. Maybe she would never be happy being normal, no matter how she craved it. Maybe nothing satisfied her because she always desired what she didn't posess. Maybe... Maybe it was time to buy a new pair of shoes.

Sighing, Buffy rolled over in an attempt to locate the alarm clock buried under the piles of paperwork on the bedside table. The only disadvantage to living with a vampire was the state of semi-darkness it was neccisary to live in to stop her waking up next to a Spike-shaped pile of dust. Eventually she located it wedged between the cabinet and the wall and a quick glance at the bright green numbers revealed it was 6.25 am. A full hour before she had to be up. She momentarily contemplated trying to catch some more sleep but she knew her curiosity as to where Spike had dissapeared to would stop her from resting properly. So, summoning up her strength, she kicked back the covers and threw on some clothes to go and investigate the case of the missing Spike.

The house was still caked in darkness as she crept down the stairs. All her slayer senses were on red-alert in case any nasty had snatched him when he had ventured down a cup of blood or, more likely, a middle-of-the-night beer. However she was relieved to sense him moving about somewhere downstairs hopefully unharmed. Something still felt wrong with this morning. Although Spike would often sneak out to patrol the area even after they'd retured for the night or even just to grab a cigarette he was always back in bed with Buffy, where he belonged, when she awoke in the morning. She hoped that today he had just not expected her to wake this early and that nothing sinister was afoot.

As she crept downstairs and pushed open the door to the kitchen a wave of unusal events overwhelmed her. Firstly Spike was fully dressed and standing over the stove. Normally her vamp refused to leave bed until atleast mid-day pleading that he was a creature of the night who needed his beauty sleep. Secondly, if she wasn't mistaken, the smell that met her was that of pancakes. On the few rare occasions he'd cooked breakfast for her before he'd always insited on feeding her what he called a 'full english' and had left her feeling so bloated and full of grease she'd been unable to move for the rest of the day. She didn't know he even knew how to cook pancakes properly. The final thing she noticed was that there normally plain kitchen suddenly resembled a picnic area with a checkered cloth lying across the table and flowers liberally dotted around the room.

"Mornin' sleep head." Spike grinned from across the kitchen.

"Spike. It's 6.30. You're making pancakes. There are flowers. Explain." Buffy mumbled, confused.

"Just wanted to do something special for you pet." He shrugged as he piled the pancakes onto a plate and gestured for Buffy to sit down. "Now sit down and eat these before they get cold." He kissed her quickly as he manovered her into a chair infront of the stack of pancakes and sat down opposite looking very uneasy.

"You not eating?" Buffy asked as she tucked into the food infront of her. After all, this was an opportunity not to be missed no matter what bizzare vampire logic was behind it.

"Nah can't eat. Too nervous." He muttered as he watched her eat. Buffy raised an eyebrow.

"If you're really that worried about your cooking should I be eating it?" She laughed. Even Spike managed a small grin but he still looked distinctily like he was going to hurl at any moment. "What's up?" She gazed at him.

"Nothing... Really pet it's nothing. Just got something to give you. But not yet so just eat up and I'll get you some coffee." He got up suddenly and began to busy himself fixing coffee and tidying the kitchen. Buffy watched him with curiosity as she ate her breakfast. She'd never seen him like this before, wasn't aware he'd ever been anything less than one hundred per cent confident in himself and his actions.

"Ok I'm done." She announced as she placed her knife and fork down with a clatter. "Now spill. You being all angsty is making me angsty and it's still way too ealy for any kind of angst."

"Right." Spike too a deep breath as he stepped towards his girl. "I've not done this before so forgive me if I royally bugger it up. But you said you wanted a ring so..." He fumbled around inside his duster and swore until he located the tiny box and dropped, rather clumsily, to one knee. "Buffy Summers, will you do the honour of becoming my wife and make me the happiest man, vampire or... anything else in the whole world?" Buffy gasped. Yes, she actually gasped. What a complete cliche she thought.

Her mind whirred. Could she do this? Finally be the girl with the house and the job and the husband and still be the slayer? Could she let go of years of fear of being abandoned and finally let herself say 'yes this is the man I want to be with for the rest of my life'? Could she put on the ring-

"Oh my god Spike that ring is beautiful! How did you know it's just like I... You didn't steal it did you?" She finished suspiciously.

"No I bloody well didn't you ungrateful bint." Spike snapped as he got up roughly.

"I didn't mean... It's just this must have cost more than I've earnt in my entire life."

"It was my mum's." Spike grunted, still not looking at her.

"It was your..."

"My mum's. Yeah. It was her engagement ring. I'd been holding on to it incase... Someday..." If she didn't know it was impossible Buffy would have sworn he was blushing. She felt such rush of love for him that she practically ran towards him as she threw her arms around him and crushed her lips against his.

"I'll marry you." She whispered as they broke apart.

"Say it again." He grinned.

"I'll marry you!" She laughed, still holding him tightly. This was madness but somehow it just felt so-

"One more time."

"Spike." She said, trying her best to sound annoyed.

"Sorry pet I just never thought you'd agree without a fight. Now though on a serious note do we really have to have wind beneath-"

"Spike!" Buffy sqeeked. "I thought we agreed we were never talking about that again? That was just the spell."

"Just the spell. Sure." Spike winked and recieved a quick blow to the stomach for his efforts. "Now you going to put this ring on and make it official?" Buffy nodded and held out a shaking hand. The ring really was beautiful. It had a pearly white stone set in the centre surrounding by blinding diamonds on a base of sparkling gold. It was classic without being dated and Buffy loved it instantly. She felt it slide perfectly onto her finger and it felt as if her world was going to stop.

In fact her world did stop. The world stopped. As the ring went onto her finger those words recited into the darkness took effect and reality changed. Spike changed from his usual duster into a smart black suit and the house became a shade cleaner. The weapons chests were replaced with DVD cabinets. Books on mythology and demons became trashy novels and sports magazines. Photos of Buffy's friends and family were replaced by ones of her and Spike throughout the ages. The house became a home and the two people in the centre stood unaware of it.

A second later they blinked as if doing a double take and then shook off that strange sense of deja vu that strikes from time to time. Odd that it should occur on such an ordinary morning.

"You know I really do feel like my life has changed since you proposed Spike." Buffy gushed. "I feel... complete."

"Just glad I can make you as happy as you make me pet." He grinned as he kissed her gently on the forehead before glancing down at his watch. "But now I really must be off. Wouldn't do for me to be late for my first day."

"Stay safe. Will you be home for 6? I'm doing steak and chips."

"Of course. See you later." He gave a small wave as he picked up his briefcase and walked out into the morning sun.


	4. So I'm Guessing I'm Maid Of Honor

_A/N: Firstly apologies for the delay in this next part. Life has been rather hectic & I have just started writing another story which stole my attention for a week or so but fear not I love all my stories equally and both will be updated as regularly as I can manage. Many thanks to everyone who has added this to your update list & favourite stories & also a big huge virtual hug to Graie and Wolfwarriorz for reviewing. Hope everyone enjoys the next part & reviews are always wonderfully received._

The sofa sagged heavily as Buffy threw herself down onto it and sighed. She'd done the hovering, cleaned the floors, taken out the trash and dusted everything she could think of and it was only half past eleven. She was suddenly filled with a void of time until Spike came home and had no idea what to do to fill it. The idea of just sitting around waiting for time to pass made her feel anxious and restless, although she knew that this was what she did every day there was a part of her that felt like something was missing from her life- some purpose and drive that she vaguely remembered having. Trying to push these thoughts of her mind Buffy picked up the remote and turned on the television, scrolling quickly through the hundreds of channels of nothing that lay in front of her. She stopped on an old martial arts film and as she watched a guy sprang up into a double backflip and kicked his opponent in the throat and knocked him out in one blow.

"Yeah, cause that's realistic." Buffy muttered as she chuckled softly to herself but then a moment later she clapper her hand to her mouth as if she'd just muttered a horrible curse word. What did she know about martial arts? She shook her head and mentally blamed Spike for making her sit through so many of these rubbishy films and she turned the television off once again and the silence engulfed her. She needed something to take her mind off all these confusing thoughts that were rushing around her head, needed to talk to someone who could make her feel at ease no matter what was going on around her. Suddenly she knew who she what she would do to occupy her empty hours.

Quickly Buffy picked up the receiver and dialled the familiar number, as she let it ring she tapped her foot impatiently waiting for someone to answer.

"Hello?" A young female voice answered brightly after a while.

"Hey Dawnie!" Buffy cooed down the phone. Even though her sister has graduated college and was now holding down a steady job and renting an apartment Buffy couldn't help but still picture her as the stroppy teenager she'd lived for so long with. "How's things?"

"Oh hey Buf. It's all good, y'know, same old. I just started this new course at work which is going to get me qualified to be able to set up and run new databases to cross reference all the data between schools so we can better manage transfer students and it's really… boring- I'm boring you aren't I?"

"Not at all Dawnie." Buffy said slightly too quickly as she stopped picking at her nail absentmindedly. "I'm always interested to hear what you're doing just as long as you don't expect me to understand what it all means. I still don't understand exactly what you even do but hey mom always said you were the brains in the family." Buffy swallowed the lump in her throat that still rose when she spoke of her mom. She knew Dawn felt the same and there was a moment of understanding between the sisters before Dawn carried on forcefully.

"Honestly it's very simple if you'd just listen to me once in a while." Dawn sighed. "I'm inter-personnel and student advisement manager for all schools in the local area." There was a pregnant pause. "Basically I help kids that aren't getting on too well at school and try to find them a place where they can learn better."

"See when you say it like that it seems so simple." Buffy laughed. "Shame you weren't there when I was at school."

"The only thing that would have made it a better learning environment for you was if you hadn't been so preoccupied with Spike! You were a smart kid Buf, and you would have got a lot further academically if you hadn't been with him at the bronze every night." Buffy could practically hear her rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of Spike-" Buffy chimed in.

"Go on then." Said Dawn in a bored voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked defensively.

"Nothing. I just knew there was a reason you were calling and it wasn't just to have a chat."

"Hey! I resent that." Said Buffy sulkily. "If you don't want to hear my news that's fine."

"Of course I do sis, c'mon I'm only messing with you. Let's hear the big news." Dawn laughed.

"Yay." Buffy squeaked. "I'm so excited Dawn, this morning Spike proposed to me!" Buffy instinctively held the receiver away for her as Dawn squealed so loudly that neighbourhood dogs were probably rushing to her apartment in their hundreds.

"ohmigosh. Ohmigosh." Dawn was jabbering when Buffy got up the courage to put the phone back to her ear. "This is the best news ever. D'you remember all the times when we were younger and you made me sit and cut out all those pictures from wedding magazines to put in the 'Buffy and Spike get married' catalogue?"

"Urm… No." Said Buffy in a puzzled voice.

"Oh but you must, I'm sure you've still got it somewhere!" As Dawn spoke Buffy noticed a battered old album lying on one of the bookshelves and the memories came back to her in a wave. Her and Dawn sat side my side clipping out pictures of wedding dresses, they wrapped themselves in sheets and pretended to walk down the isle. How could she have forgotten?

"Of course I do." Buffy exclaimed quickly. "I don't know what's wrong with me today I feel like it's such an effort to think and remember stuff I should know, y'know?"

"Well it's understandable that you're going to be a bit scatty today- this is the moment you've always dreamed of."

"Urm.. Sure is." Buffy laughed uneasily. She thought of Spike and this warm glow flooded through her, she thought of the upcoming wedding and knew that when she finally married him she would feel complete and secure in a way she had never felt before but she felt that there should be more to life than this. She felt there was a calling somewhere she was missing. Quickly she stopped her train of thought and shook it off as freakishly early pre-wedding jitters.

"So I'm guessing I'm maid of honour." Dawn announced in a blunt way that was so Dawn-ish it made Buffy laugh out loud.

"Of course, who else could I choose?" Buffy replied. She'd meant it an off-hand way but suddenly she was struck with the reality that there really was no one else. Willow, maybe, but they hadn't been that close since college. Willow was ambitious and had moved away to run a business with Tara fixing computers or something similar and since then it felt like they had very little in common. Sometimes Buffy felt a bit lonely. As much as she loved Spike he wasn't great at girl-talk and sometimes she got the feeling Dawn got bored of her frequent phone calls- she was young and in a new city and didn't want to spend every night in chatting to her big sister.

"Yay!" Dawn squeaked. "Well in that case I have **a lot** of planning to do…"

The res of the conversation passed in a blur of colour schemes, seating plans, dress fittings and hair styles and before Buffy knew it she was caught up once again in her bubble of happiness and all of her worries and doubts faded into nothing as she ran her phone bill up.

Across the country, in a darkened corner of a cemetery three gowned figures stood huddled around a cauldron bubbling gently as dusk fell around them.

"When shall we three meet again?" The youngest cackled gently as she stepped forward to stir the potion that lay in front of them.

"Huh?" The second figure asked the elder and leader of the pack. "What is she rattling on about now?"

"Oh come on." The younger shouted impatiently as she threw the stick back into the pot. "Shakespeare… Macbeth… The three witches… Am I the only one of us to have some culture?"

"Well firstly," the second replied argumentively "we're not witches we're demons and secondly I, unlike some, have been alive for over a thousand years so I cannot be expected to remember ever play that was written in that time."

"Yes, but, I mean, **Shakespeare-**"

"CHILDREN!" Boomed the elder "cease this constant chatter you are driving me insane."

"I was merely stating the fact a bit of culture wouldn't-" The youngest started.

"Culture? We're demons set on world destruction and-"

"SILENCE!" The voice of the leader rang across the cemetery once more. "Did I personally select you, elevate you from your pitiful lives and bestow upon you the gifts that men merely dream of so you could bicker and squabble like children in a play ground?"

"No sir." The minions muttered dully.

"No I did not. I chose you, from the millions I encountered, because you possessed the burning knowledge of how your lives could have been if one factor had changed in your favour and while this factor crippled your meagre, human existence I alone showed you how to harness your knowledge to change the world in our favour by preying on the misplaced desires of others. Now we are on the verge of something monumental you threaten to ruin it all by becoming distracted with your pretty differences.

"Sorry sir." They whispered.

"Now the world is changed you feel we can sit and rest but it is now, more than ever, we need to be vigil. If the Slayer or the mutilated vampire rediscover their true destinies before the ceremony all our work will be undone and the previous world will be restored as if nothing had happened. We must make sure the wedding takes place at all costs! Once they are bound together in their mortal lives nothing can destroy the world we have created. Fila," he addressed the youngest minion, "you must journey now to visit the one destined to be a watcher while you Gura" he turned to the elder minion "you must observe she who would be the Wicca. You must prevent them at all costs from discovering their true identity- even the smallest trigger could spark their memories to flood back. The demon world shall not bother them for they know not who they should have been. I shall stay close to the would-be-slayer and ensure she remains so engrossed in her own selfish desires that she lets the world go to hell. I hope I do not have to remind you of the serious nature of this assignment. If the Slayer and the Vampire are returned to the old world and are bound together there all demon-kind are doomed to be forced into oblivion. We must avoid this prophecy coming true at all costs!"

The minions nodded solemnly and together they spun into the darkness leaving the cauldron bubbling slowly into the night.


	5. Big Nasty

_A/N: Ok, so I find myself wanting to apologise once again for the delay in updates but I think I'm going to have to admit that I'm never going to be able to be one of those writers who updates every few days because I just don't have enough time in my life and I really hope that everyone can cope with that and still enjoys following this story. I can promise, however, that I will always complete the stories I start even if it takes me a bit longer. Once again if you enjoy it please please review and let me know it will make me very happy inside. _

"So do you agree?" Buffy asked sharply as she turned to face her fiancé who was gazing gormlessly at the soccer on the television with a beer resting in his hand. Around him lay an assortment of papers, scraps of material, magazines and silk flowers with Buffy sat in the centre of the mess looking about ready to explode if she didn't receive the correct answer. It had been a month since Spike first proposed and trying to organize the venue, reception, date, guest list and everything else that went along with a wedding had quickly turned her into a full-blown bridezilla.

"Agree?" He mumbled sleepily as he turned towards her. She frowned heavily and he caught the don't-mess-with-me look in her eyes that he knew only too well and suddenly sat more upright in an attempt to act like he had been listening intently all along. "Of course I agree Pet. Completely agree." He nodded vigorously, trying to compensate.

"And what is it you agree so strongly with?" Buffy asked, her annoyance slightly giving way to amusement as she watched her lover squirm uncomfortably under her gaze.

"The… urm… colour scheme." He bravely ventured. Receiving neither conformation nor dismissal from Buffy he wandered on blindly "That we couldn't have the pink and the red together because it would be a bit too much and so we should go with the red because it compliments your skin tone" he recited devotedly "and reminds me of those hot little skin-tight trousers you used to wear in high school." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Buffy fought to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up. _You are mad at him_ she scolded herself.

"Very good Spike." She murmured. "Yes, that was what I was talking about… like two hours ago!" Spike groaned and threw his head back in defeat, resigned for the worst. "Since then I have covered seating plans, table decorations, the order of service and now we are supposed to be discussing the actual date we get married. And I was saying," Buffy said in an as-you-would-know-if-you-were-listening voice "that the hotel only has one vacancy within the next two years and that is a cancellation in three weeks and what I was asking was if you agreed that this was a do-able time frame for us to get everything done by." She finished abruptly and folded her arms giving him her best tough-girl stare.

"Pet if anyone can organize a wedding in three weeks it's you. You can do anything you put your mind to." He cooed softly as he tried to scoot closer to her and place his arms around her but she shook them off, her anger still bubbling beneath the surface.

"That's the thing though- I don't want to have to do this all by myself. We're both getting married and I could use some input from you. This is supposed to be the biggest day of our lives not just mine and it seems like you just don't care about it."

"Buf, love, of course I care! I'm gonna be the happiest man in the world when I see you walk down that isle towards me. Sure, I don't care what colour the sodding flowers are or who your great auntie Murtle sits next to but that doesn't mean I don't care about us getting married. We could get married in a shed and it would be the best day of my life, you could be wearing a bin bag and you would still be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I'm not a thinker, love, you know that. I go with what I feel and all I care about is you and me being together for the rest of our lives but if that means three weeks of picking flowers and shoving almonds into boxes for the gifts-"

"Favours." Buffy interjected, grinning.

"Sorry, favours. Then so be it. As long as at the end of it I get to marry you I'll be happy. I love you, Buffy I hope you know that." She grinned at him as he pulled her close for a well-deserved kiss. She sighed and instinctively nuzzled into his neck as she pulled herself onto his lap and wrapped herself around him.

"You're such a big softie." She teased, all the anger now gone from her voice. "If only your old friends could see you now. The big bad of Sunnydale high talking about flowers and favours." She giggled.

"It was a reputation I never understood why I had anyway." Spike admitted.

"I think it was the accent and the leather coat you insisted on wearing despite it being the middle of summer that did it."

"Hey, my coat was cool!" Spike muttered sulkily.

"Of course it was baby." Buffy cooed patronisingly as she kissed his head and ruffled his hair, laughing at the look of mock outrage that covered his face as he grabbed her hands and wrestled her onto the floor, squirming and giggling.

"Say it was cool." He ordered her as he pinned her down and began to tickle her mercilessly.

"Okay, okay, I surrender." Buffy gasped between her laughter. "The coat was cool." He stopped and sat up with his legs either side of her still pinning her down. A look of smug triumph appeared for a split second before Buffy, with a mischievous grin, added "Nearly as cool as the time me and Dawn painted your nails in your sleep and you didn't realise all day." She shrieked with laughter and in one fluid motion pushed him backwards, wriggled free and bolted up the stairs still chuckling to herself.

"Oh you are so for it now summers." Spike growled as he sprang up and raced up the stairs after her.

Buffy hid under the covers trying to conceal her silent giggles that wracked her body, she felt like a child again playing hide and seek again.

"That is the worst hiding place in the entire history of the world." Spike drawled as he pulled the covers off her in one smooth movement. "It's a good job you don't have any big nasty chasing after you, you wouldn't last a second." As he jumped onto her, their lips crashed together and Buffy had an image of herself running through a cemetery clutching some form of weapon with the full knowledge that she was running for her life and some 'big nasty' was indeed after her. She'd been having the weirdest dreams recently and tried to push it out of her head but something deep inside her made her pull away from her boyfriend and blurt out;

"I don't think I'd do too badly. You shouldn't underestimate me you… look what you did, you made me go all big-wordy." She pouted as Spike lay beside her and pushed the stray strands of hair form her face.

"Sorry Pet didn't mean to test your vocabulary I just meant that you do have a tendency to squeal and hide when the monsters jump out in the horror movies so I don't think a life of escaping bad guys is really for you." He paused thoughtfully as if heavily weighing his next words. "Unless you believe the nut-job who ran into me earlier."

"What guy? When?" Buffy asked with panic in her voice.

"Calm down love," he soothed her. "Just some random guy that ran into me on my lunch break today and started spouting some rubbish about a fight against evil and remembering who I was. Obviously he'd run out on one of his nurses."

"You didn't know him then? Was it a joke or something?" Her brow knitted together and she chewed on her lip to try to not show her anxiety. Weird things like this made her feel so out of control and she hated it.

"Not a joke no, just some crazy talking nonsense. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned anything."

"Well what did he look like?" Buffy pressed, clearly not willing to let the subject drop.

"Oh I don't know Buffy," Spike sighed. "Tall, dark and broody. Looked a bit gay with hair that had a ridiculous amount of gel on it. Bloody pouf if you ask me." Buffy smiled slightly at Spike's use of language.

"Knew I could get a smile." Spike ginned at her as he pulled her closer once again. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have mentioned anything. Can we go back to discussing colour schemes? I very much prefer you angry than upset."

"I'm sorry I know it's silly it's just… the dreams. I hate it so much I wake up terrified."

"I know pet." He muttered into her hair, and he really did. He woke up to her screaming every night and it broke his heart to see his girl in such distress. "I know. It's just the stress taking its toll on you. They're only nightmares and if I see any nasties or anything that remotely signifies the end of the world I will give you the heads up, I promise." She laughed lightly and felt the weight lift slightly off her shoulders as she snuggled into his embrace and felt at peace with the world for the first time all night. Here, at least she knew nothing could bother her.


End file.
